I hate asking for help. In my pride I want to keep the appearance of having it all together; asking for help shatters that carefully crafted illusion. It requires me to admit I cannot solve all my problems on my own. It requires that I face my own weaknesses and …

Are godparents necessary for baptism? If so, what are the requirements for godparents, and what does the Church expect of them? During the COVID-19 pandemic, when person-to-person interactions were limited, many infant baptisms were held in private—some with only the parents, the child and the minister. Though preferred, baptismal sponsors …

Nicholas Boccasini was born at Treviso, Italy, in 1240. Hhe entered the Dominican Order at the age of 14. After 14 years of study, he became lector of theology, an office he filled for several years. In 1296 he was elected Master General of the Order. At this same time …

July 6 marks the feast day of St. Maria Goretti, a young virgin and martyr whose life is an example of purity and mercy for all Christians. St. Maria Goretti is best known for her commitment to purity and the courageous defense of her faith at the young age of …

Sometimes we get so caught up wishing things were perfect that we fail to move forward. The Church’s pro-life ministries seek to serve women who are unexpectedly pregnant, in crisis pregnancies, or struggling to make ends meet after giving birth, and to serve post-abortive women and men. With that in …

St. Junípero Serra was born on November 24, 1713 on the island of Majorca, Spain. He joined the Franciscans in 1730, and became so accomplished as a student that he was appointed a lector of philosophy before his ordination. As an academic, he was promising. After earning his PhD, he …

Elderly We pray for the elderly, who represent the roots and memory of a people; may their experience and wisdom help young people to look towards the future with hope and responsibility.

These “proto-martyrs” of Rome were the first Christians persecuted en masse by the Emperor Nero in the year 64, before the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. Nero was widely believed to have caused the fire that burned down much of Rome in the same year. He blamed the fire …

On June 29 the Church celebrates the feast day of Sts. Peter & Paul. As early as the year 258, there is evidence of an already lengthy tradition of celebrating the solemnities of both Saint Peter and Saint Paul on the same day. Together, the two saints are the founders …

Celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on June 28, and by Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine tradition on August 23, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons was a second-century bishop and writer in present-day France. He is best known for defending Christian orthodoxy, especially the reality of Christ’s human incarnation, against the …